In response to a reporter's question, "Which is more likely: making progress in Iraq or you winning the nomination?" (July 2007) Liasson, Mara. McCain Nearly Broke But Stays Course. National Public Radio. July 7, 2007.
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[I]n the words of Chairman Mao, 'It's darkest before it's totally black.'
— John McCain
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "[I]n the words of Chairman Mao, 'It's darkest before it's totally black.'" in the context of "In response to a reporter's question, "Which is more likely: making progress in Iraq or you winning the nomination?" (July 2007) Liasson, Mara. McCain Nearly Broke But Stays Course. National Public Radio. July 7, 2007." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "John McCain" (Quotes, 2000s, 2007)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (29 August 1936 - 25 August 2018) was an American politician, statesman, and United States Navy officer who served as a United States Senator for Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms in the United States House of Representatives and was the Republican nominee for president of the United States in the 2008 election, which he lost to Barack Obama.
About John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (29 August 1936 - 25 August 2018) was an American politician, statesman, and United States Navy officer who served as a United States Senator for Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms in the United States House of Representatives and was the Republican nominee for president of the United States in the 2008 election, which he lost to Barack Obama.
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